Sheena Kennedy was concerned about what type of milk to stock at the new Carrying Place Market on Swan’s Island. She knew people who drank whole milk, and others who drank skim milk, and still others who preferred organic, but in the end her selection seemed to be just right. In 48 hours, the store had sold out of 32 gallons of milk.
Milk is one of the fastest moving items at the new store, but especially ice cream. Cindy Niquette, Sheena’s mother, said that the Carrying Place Market will expand its ice cream selection, because it is such a hot ticket item. The store also has a hot dog cooker, and Sheena said the hot dogs sell out almost everyday. Other items do not sell so quickly, and they are still determining the brand and quantity to order, or even how to display it.
After visiting the store on North Haven because it serves a similar sized population, Sheena, Cindy, and Eric Greenlaw, Sheena’s boyfriend who also runs the store, decided to have an open cooler to display the produce. However, the cooler has been a little finicky. One day the cheese melted, and another day the cucumbers froze. After a few visits from the cooler maintenance repairman, the cooler has settled down, and has been running smoothly for the last several days.
Located in the Harbor, everyone on the island has to pass the store on the way to the town dump, and Cindy noted, “there was a reason for this spot.” The store is even conveniently open on Sundays during dump hours. It also a short walk from the harbor for boaters.
Now that the store is open, the biggest challenge for the store may be people remembering to bring money with them on the island. Aside from seasonal takeouts and gift shops, the islanders have had no place to spend money on the island so they do not tend to carry a wallet or pocketbook. But the Carrying Place Market will be open year-round, so folks will have to remember to bring a few dollars with them to buy their groceries, especially the ice cream.
Siobhan Ryan is an Island Institute Fellow on Swan’s Island.